Table assembly including an electric illuminating device

ABSTRACT

A table assembly includes a table and an electric illuminating device. The table includes a leg frame and a tabletop supported on top of the leg frame. At least a portion of the tabletop is light-transmissive. The electric illuminating device is mounted to the table, is disposed under the tabletop, and is operable to emit light that passes through the portion of the tabletop.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a table assembly, more particularly to a tableassembly that includes an electric illuminating device.

2. Description of the Related Art

As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional table 1 for outdoor use includes atabletop 11 made of glass and formed with a through hole 111 in acentral portion thereof, and a leg frame 12 having four legs andsupporting the tabletop 11. The through hole 111 permits extension andpositioning of a shaft 31 of a parasol 3.

Accordingly, during daytime, when users sit around the table 1, theparasol 3 can block sunlight for comfort. At nighttime, a lightingdevice such as a candle or a gas lamp (not shown) may be placed on thetabletop 11 to provide a dim illumination effect.

However, although candles and gas lamps are suitable for providing aromantic and mysterious atmosphere, they are unsuited for use duringwindy weather.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the object of this invention is to provide a table assemblythat includes an electric illuminating device, which is disposed under atabletop and which emits light passing through the tabletop, so that aromantic atmosphere may be obtained without the use of candles and gaslamps.

According to this invention, there is provided a table assembly thatcomprises a table and an electric illuminating device. The tableincludes a leg frame and a tabletop supported on top of the leg frame.At least a portion of the tabletop is light-transmissive. The electricilluminating device is mounted to the table, is disposed under thetabletop, and is operable to emit light that passes through the portionof the tabletop.

By virtue of the light emitted by the electric illuminating device andpassing through the tabletop, a romantic atmosphere may be obtained evenin a windy environment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent in the following detailed description of the preferredembodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional table with a parasol;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the first preferred embodimentof a table assembly according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary partly sectional view illustrating a tabletopand an electric illuminating device of the first preferred embodimentaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a leg frame and anelectric illuminating device of the second preferred embodiment of atable assembly according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary schematic side view of the second preferredembodiment according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an electricilluminating device of the third preferred embodiment of a tableassembly according to the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a top view showing assembly relationship between a leg frameand the electric illuminating device of the third preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before the present invention is described in greater detail withreference to the accompanying preferred embodiments, it should be notedherein that like elements are denoted by the same reference numeralsthroughout the following disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the first preferred embodiment of a tableassembly according to the present invention is suitable for outdoor useand for mounting of a parasol (such as that shown in FIG. 1). The tableassembly includes a table and an electric illuminating device 6. Thetable includes a tabletop 2 having a light-transmissive portion, and aleg frame 4 that supports the tabletop 2. In this embodiment, thetabletop 2 is made of tempered glass. The light-transmissive portion ofthe tabletop 2 is formed with a through hole 21 for extension andpositioning of a shaft of the parasol. The electric illuminating device6 is mounted to the table, is disposed under the tabletop 2, and isoperable to emit light that passes through the light-transmissiveportion of the tabletop 2.

In this embodiment, the electric illuminating device 6 includes anexternally threaded coupling tube 61 that is fixed to an underside ofthe light-transmissive portion of the tabletop 2 and that surrounds thethrough hole 21. The electric illuminating device 6 additionallyincludes a ring-shaped casing 62 that is fastened to the coupling tube61, four angularly spaced apart light-emitting members 63 that aremounted to the casing and that are operable to emit light toward thelight-transmisive portion of the tabletop 2, and a power control unit 64(see FIG. 6) coupled electrically to the light-emitting members 63 andincluding a switch 640 (see FIG. 3) that is operable to controlactivation and deactivation of the light-emitting members 63.

In this embodiment, the casing 62 of the electric illuminating device 6includes a top wall 621, a bottom wall 622 fastened to the top wall 621,an outer surrounding wall 623 extending integrally and downwardly froman outer rim of the top wall 621 to the bottom wall 622, and an innerring wall 624 extending integrally and downwardly from an inner circularrim of the top wall 621 to the bottom wall 622. The inner ring wall 624defines a shaft hole 625 that is coaxial with the through hole 21 of thetabletop 2, and is internally threaded for threaded engagement with thecoupling tube 61 in a manner that the top wall 621 is able to abutagainst the underside of the tabletop 2. The four light-emitting members63 are retained in the casing 62, and each has a portion exposed fromthe top wall 621 of the casing 62. Therefore, when viewed from theoutside, the light-emitting members 63 appear to be embedded in the topwall 621. In this embodiment, the light-emitting members 63 arelight-emitting diodes, and are activated and deactivated through thepower control unit 64 for illumination purposes. Since the feature ofthe present invention does not reside in the control of thelight-emitting members 63 through the power control unit 64, which canbe readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, further details ofthe same will be omitted herein for the sake of brevity.

When used with a parasol (such as that shown in FIG. 1), the shaft ofthe parasol is extended through the through hole 21 of the tabletop 2and the coupling tube 61. During nighttime, the switch 640 is operatedto enable the power control unit 64 to activate the light-emittingmembers 63, thereby emitting light that passes through thelight-transmissive portion of the tabletop 2. Accordingly, a romanticatmosphere may be obtained without using candles and gas lamps even in awindy environment.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the second preferred embodiment of a tableassembly according to the present invention is shown. The secondpreferred embodiment differs from the first preferred embodiment in thatthe electric illuminating device 6 is spaced apart from the underside ofthe tabletop 2 and is attached to the leg frame 4. In this embodiment,the leg frame 4 includes a plurality of legs 41 that are angularlyspaced apart spaced apart from each other. Each of the legs 41 has aground contacting segment 413, an intermediate segment 411 extendingupwardly from the ground contacting segment 413 and connected to theouter surrounding wall 623 of the casing 62, and a supporting segment412 extending from the intermediate segment 411 and supporting thetabletop 2 thereon. Preferably, the supporting segment 412 extendshorizontally from a top end of the intermediate segment 411 to aperiphery of the tabletop 2. Preferably, the supporting segments 412 ofthe legs 41 extend in radial directions with respect to the through hole21 (see FIG. 2) of the tabletop 2, and the ground contacting segments413 of the legs 41 also extend in radial directions with respect to thethrough hole 21 of the tabletop 2.

In this embodiment, the electric illuminating device 6 further includesfour fasteners 65, each extending through the intermediate segment 411of a respective one of the legs 41 and the outer surrounding wall 623 ofthe casing 62 for attaching the respective leg 41 to the casing 62.Moreover, unlike the first preferred embodiment, the inner ring wall 624of the casing 62 has a smooth inner wall surface defining the shaft hole625. When the second preferred embodiment of this invention is used witha parasol (such as that shown in FIG. 1), the shaft of the parasol isextended through the through hole 21 of the tabletop 2 and the shafthole 625 of the casing 62.

Like the previous embodiment, this embodiment enables a romanticatmosphere to be obtained without using candles and gas lamps even in awindy environment.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the third preferred embodiment of a tableassembly according to the present invention differs from the secondpreferred embodiment in that the electric illuminating device 6 furtherincludes four abutment members 626 disposed removably between an outerside of the outer surrounding wall 623 of the casing 62 and theintermediate segments 411 of the legs 41, and four guide units thatproject inwardly from the outer surrounding wall 623 and that correspondrespectively to the abutment members 626.

The outer surrounding wall 623 of the casing 62 has a bottom edge and isformed with four pairs of slots that extend upwardly from the bottomedge for engagement with the abutment members 626, respectively. Each ofthe abutment members 626 includes an abutment block 628 to be placedbetween the outer side of the outer surrounding wall 623 and theintermediate segment 411 of a corresponding one of the legs 41, and apair of hook parts 629 that extend from the abutment block 628 and thatextend slidably through a corresponding pair of the slots 66 to engagean inner side of the outer surrounding wall 623. Each of the abutmentblocks 628 has a concave side 620 abutting against the intermediatesegment 411 of the corresponding leg 41. Each stop unit includes a pairof protrusions 627 that are disposed between and that abut against thehook parts 629 of a respective one of the abutment members 626 so as toguide sliding movement of the hook parts 629 along the correspondingpair of slots 66. In this embodiment, each of the fasteners 65 passesthrough the intermediate segment 411 of the respective leg 41 and theabutment block 628 of a respective abutment member 626, and engages theouter surrounding wall 623 of the casing 62 to attach the electricilluminating device 6 to the legs 41.

Like the previous embodiments, this embodiment also enables a romanticatmosphere to be obtained without using candles and gas lamps even in awindy environment.

It is worthwhile to note that the shapes of the through hole 21 of thetabletop 2 and the outer surrounding wall 623 and the shaft hole 625 ofthe casing 62 are not limited to the circular shape as disclosed in theaforementioned embodiments. For instance, the outer profile of thecasing 62 may be another geometric shape, such as a polygon, an oval,etc. Moreover, the table assembly of this invention may be used withoutthe parasol, in which case, the through hole 21 of the tabletop 2 is notrequired to be formed.

While the present invention has been described in connection with whatare considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it isunderstood that this invention is not limited to the disclosedembodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements includedwithin the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as toencompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

1. A table assembly comprising: a table including a leg frame and atabletop supported on top of said leg frame, at least a portion of saidtabletop being light-transmissive; and an electric illuminating devicemounted to said table, disposed under said tabletop, and operable toemit light that passes through said portion of said tabletop.
 2. Thetable assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electric illuminatingdevice includes: a casing; at least one light emitting member mounted tosaid casing and operable to emit light that passes through said portionof said tabletop; and a power control unit coupled electrically to saidat least one light-emitting member and including a switch that isoperable to control activation and deactivation of said at least onelight emitting member.
 3. The table assembly as claimed in claim 2,wherein said portion of said tabletop is formed with a through hole,said casing being formed with a shaft hole that is registered with saidthrough hole, said through hole and said shaft hole being adapted forextension of a shaft therethrough.
 4. The table assembly as claimed inclaim 3, wherein said electric illuminating device further includes anexternally threaded coupling tube that is fixed to an underside of saidportion of said tabletop and that is disposed to surround said throughhole, said casing having an inner ring wall that defines said shaft holeand that is internally threaded for threaded engagement with saidcoupling tube.
 5. The table assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein saidleg frame includes a plurality of legs that are angularly spaced apartfrom each other, said casing of said electric illuminating device beingattached to and surrounded by said legs.
 6. The table assembly asclaimed in claim 5, wherein each of said legs has a ground contactingsegment, an intermediate segment extending upwardly from said groundcontacting segment, and a supporting segment extending from saidintermediate segment and supporting said tabletop thereon, said casingof said electric illuminating device being attached to said intermediatesegments of said legs.
 7. The table assembly as claimed in claim 6,wherein said portion of said tabletop is formed with a through hole,said casing being formed with a shaft hole that is registered with saidthrough hole, said through hole and said shaft hole being adapted forextension of a shaft therethrough.
 8. The table assembly as claimed inclaim 7, wherein said supporting segments of said legs extend in radialdirections with respect to said through hole, and said ground contactingsegments of said legs extend in radial directions with respect to saidthrough hole.
 9. The table assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein saidelectric illuminating device further includes a plurality of fasteners,each attaching said casing to a respective one of said legs.
 10. Thetable assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein said casing includes anouter surrounding wall, and said electric illuminating device furtherincludes a plurality of abutment members, each of said abutment membersbeing disposed between said outer surrounding wall of said casing and arespective one of said legs, each of said fasteners passing through therespective one of said legs and a respective one of said abutmentmembers and engaging said outer surrounding wall of said casing.
 11. Thetable assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein said outer surroundingwall has a bottom edge and is formed with a plurality of pairs of slotsthat extend upwardly from said bottom edge, each of said abutmentmembers including an abutment block disposed between said outersurrounding wall of said casing and the respective one of said legs, anda pair of hook parts that extend from said abutment block and thatextend through a corresponding pair of said slots to engage said outersurrounding wall.
 12. The table assembly as claimed in claim 11, whereinsaid casing is formed with a plurality of guide units that projectinwardly from said outer surrounding wall, each of said guide unitsguiding sliding movement of said hook parts of a respective one of saidabutment members along the corresponding pair of said slots.